President Donald Trump took action on Tuesday by signing an executive order that requires individuals to provide proof of US citizenship when registering to vote at the federal level. He also ordered that mail in ballots received after Election Day should not be counted. States that choose not to follow these guidelines could lose federal funding. Trump said that this decision is a measure to protect election integrity, referencing his allegations that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
There’s a lot of concern from critics, especially from Democratic lawmakers, who believe this order could hinder voter turnout, especially among minority and low income populations. It is also noteworthy that a study by the Brennan Center reported that 21 million US citizens lack quick access to crucial citizenship documents like passports. Furthermore, the order requires federal agencies to audit state voter systems, giving them the authority to issue subpoenas to ensure compliance.
Although federal law already prohibits non citizen voting, Trump’s directive ramps up the ongoing efforts by the Republicans to tighten election regulations. Right now, eighteen states and US territories allow late mail ballots to be counted if they’re postmarked by Election Day, which is something this order would change for federal elections.